Posts Tagged ‘pain’
My dog died today
My dog died today. There’s not a person in my world who can’t relate with me on some level. Why so much pain? My little dog wasn’t human, so what’s the deal? Why am I feeling such loss? The simple answer is grief. The Bible speaks often and significantly to the grief we all experience.…
Read MoreA friend of mine died today
A friend of mine died today. He was working on his roof and fell. It looked bad from the beginning, but he got better and better. But in the middle of his first day of rehabilitation, his heart stopped. His family was devastated. So was I. What do you say to his wife, the love…
Read MorePurpose in the pain
Sometimes life is just plain hard. People we love get sick. Governments do idiotic things. The news we hear is often negative. Careers don’t always work out. Kids don’t constantly express their love for their parents. Has it ever crossed your mind, “why?” Here’s a thought. Crisis and difficulty in your life have a purpose.…
Read MorePain
Pain. We avoid it at all costs. Julius Caesar said, “It is easier to find men who will volunteer to die than to find those who are willing to endure pain with patience.” The harsh reality is unsettling. All of us will experience pain at some point in our lives. It comes in many forms…physical…
Read MoreLoving well
TIME magazine, February 23, 2015, makes an intriguing statement “research shows married couples enjoy greater longevity than singles.” That report makes “’til death do us part” even more of a commitment. Married couples have been found to have lower rates of substance abuse, lower blood pressure, and less depression than singles. Even though the study is a few…
Read MoreLooking good
It may be nice to tell others about how compassionate we are by using Twitter or Facebook, but it’s ultimately our actions that make the difference. The idea of “looking good” seems to be a bigger value than “being good.” Why is that? Part of the answer is that many of us have not taken…
Read MoreLiving with regret
I was fascinated by an article written in 2012 by Bronnie Ware. As a nurse, she spent years working in hospice, caring for patients in the last 12 weeks of their lives. She recorded many of the conversations she had with patients as they faced their final days on earth. She wrote of the extraordinary…
Read MoreBruised for our sake
In the world of politics, there will always be those who say they “feel your pain” but have not actually experienced the pain and difficulty you may be going through. Their statement might seem a bit disingenuous. Jesus is no politician, but when He says He feels your pain, He’s lived it. Isaiah 42:3 says…
Read MoreWake up!
Yet even now,” declares the LORD, “Return to Me with all your heart, And with fasting, weeping and mourning; And rend your heart and not your garments ” Now return to the LORD your God, For He is gracious and compassionate, Slow to anger, abounding in lovingkindness And relenting of evil. Joel 2:12-13 …
Read MoreYou’re not alone!
Despair and depression do something to you. The way you think changes. There is a strong tendency to be more self-centered focusing on your issues solely. The nature of depression is interesting. Here’s a quick primer. According to Web MD, most people feel sad or depressed at times. It’s a normal reaction to loss or…
Read MoreWell-intentioned dragons
I just received one of “those” emails. Well-intentioned. Not caustic but very directive on what I should do in a particular situation. I want to be open to people speaking into my life. All of us are full of blind spots. We need people who can see what we don’t see. Even more, people who…
Read More